Jon Bartlett-Rawlings [Senior Lecturer]I was sixteen when I left school and started work in the office of the architect Frederick Gibberd as an office junior. At that time I had no ambition or direction in my professional life, but soon realised that it was in the design of “people spaces” that I felt the need to direct my creative abilities. After two years with the architects, I started studying Interior Design, firstly at Barking Regional College and then at Hornsey College of Art. Here, I was able to explore and develop my concepts of space, and I exhibited some furniture designs at the Design Centre in London.On leaving college I worked with various architects and designers in London for several years, before emigrating to Canada. During the six years that I spent in Toronto I worked with a variety of designers, specialising in Office Design, Exhibition Design and Display, and Retail Design. In the latter position I was fortunate to work with one of the world’s top ten design consultants, and I worked on the design of several shopping malls across the US, Canada, Singapore, Paris and the UK.On returning to England I settled in Yorkshire and worked with several architects in the region on some major commercial facilities, including the Harrogate Conference Centre and the St John’s Centre in Leeds, as well as numerous shops, pubs, restaurants, offices and exhibitions. I then worked in Newcastle with the Canadian design consultants, as designers for the Metro Centre in Gateshead. After that, I started my freelance practice which I continue to this day, working on many diversified interior, furniture, and graphic design projects.My teaching experience started on a part-time basis over twenty years ago, when I started my freelance practice. At first I worked at Dewsbury College teaching on the ND and HND courses before taking up my present fractional full-time post at the university ten years ago. During this time I have written and taught several modules, as well as assisting in student placements and running the successful franchise course in Singapore. My main aim in teaching is to encourage students in developing their observational skills and to question conventional concepts of design.Interior design, Exhibition and Retail Design, Furniture Design, Leisure Design, Landscape Design, Display Design etc. etc. Specialising in Conceptualising, Planning, Sourcing Materials and Finishes, Professional Practice, Working Drawings and Presentation Techniques.The world of Interior Design is vast, and there are career opportunities in many different areas of the profession. During my professional life I have worked, and still work, in a wide variety of sectors and on many projects varying in scale, style and value. Because of this I have been able teach across a wide variety of design areas during the twenty years that I have been working in Further and Higher Education. The areas of design which I most enjoy is Retail and Restaurant Design, and I have worked on many Shopping Centres, Shops, Showrooms and Restaurants both in the UK and the USA.Because of my industrial experience I have written and deliver the module “Professional Practice and Project Management”, which is part of the Final Year programme. This module equips students with the necessary knowledge about the commercial and legal aspects of the profession, and acts as a stepping stone between university studies and working in the industry.I am also responsible for the Second Year Module “Design and Building Technology“ which concentrates on informing students about the vast choices of materials and finishes which are available for surfaces, furniture and lighting. In tandem with this I also supervise students in the production of working drawings for their designs and schemes. To support the lecture programme, I have also developed a library of live samples for student’s use, and this is continually updated with new products and information.